Page 66 of The Guardian's Curse

“Only for a moment. And then it will be sweet beyond your wildest imagination,” he said. His sharp teeth grazed her skin, igniting the nerve endings along her throat. Then there was a split second of sharp pain. His fingers rolled across her clit and drew her attention away from the pain and down to the gathering inferno.

With the first pull at her throat, the pain evaporated into a dizzy blur. Her skin tingled, every inch aflame as if she lay in warm sand. That was nice, and then—

His fangs were a lightning rod for pleasure; white-hot sensation ripped through her from throat to thighs. She let out a sharp gasp and went rigid against him. Still, he held her fast, pinned against his body as he made love to her and drank his fill, penetrating and piercing until he was running through her like electricity. She felt like she was falling and flying and all she could do was grip his wrists tight, as he took her deep into the shadows.

Her body tensed as orgasm exploded through her. She let out a wordless cry of pleasure. This didn’t fade, but took hold, as if she’d leaped from a precipice only to catch a powerful current that carried her up and out into oblivion. Black pressed in around her vision, and she slumped against Alistair in a dreamy haze. She was only vaguely aware when his hips twitched behind her, muscles clenching as he came.

He held her, lips still pressed to her neck, until she breathed easier. Then he withdrew slowly, both above and below. One finger pressed to her neck, and it went pleasantly numb. He gently stroked her brow and pulled her back down to lie with him.

She instinctively rolled over to look for him, but his arms folded around her and pulled her close. Dizzy euphoria still clung to her, as if she had fallen into bed after drinking a bottle of wine. She wanted to speak, but her brain had shut down. All she managed was a quiet, happy sigh.

“Shoshanna?” he asked quietly. “Are you all right?”

“Mmm,” she said, wiggling her hips back into him. His arms tightened around her. “You?”

“I feel as though this is a dream,” he said. “It seems impossible that I could be here with you.”

“I dreamed about you, too,” she said, her voice sounding far away. “The first night I was here.”

He laughed, a rich, full-throated sound that vibrated into her chest. “And I dreamed of you.”

“This was better than my dream,” she said. Her fingers drifted to her neck. “What did I taste like?”

“Perfection,” he said. “The sweetness of vanilla and honey. The warmth of fine whiskey. The richness of the finest red wine. I could live my whole life and never taste better.” His lips nuzzled against her. “Lie here. I’ll be back.”

There was a faint blur of red as he climbed out of bed, leaving her alone. In his absence, she stretched lazily and let out a happy sigh. She’d had a few meaningless hook-ups in her life. Each had been followed by an immediate rush of shame and regret, like what did I just do? This time, she just felt satisfied.

“I just banged a vampire,” she said to herself, then let out a peal of laughter.

“Yes, you did,” he announced as he walked back in. She caught the briefest glimpse of him before the door closed again and plunged her into darkness.

Her cheeks flushed. “God, with the hearing!”

He laughed and climbed back into bed. Once he was settled, he pulled her against his chest, then pressed a glass into her hand. “Drink.”

“What is it?”

“Orange juice,” he said. He kissed her neck. “I don’t want you to feel any pain because I fed on you.”

She sipped the juice. Everything felt better in the afterglow of sex, particularly with him. Generic brand juice tasted like fresh-squeezed tropical sunshine. “I could get used to this.”

“I certainly hope so,” he said, his deep voice a pleasant rumble at her back. He kissed her neck again, as if he was looking for a last drop.

“Are you still hungry?”

“I am always hungry,” he said.

“Do you want to feed again?”

“I do,” he said. “I could drain you dry and never get enough of you. But I would not risk hurting you. I am capable of controlling my urges.” His tongue flicked at her ear. “Even when they are nearly irresistible.”

“Is it harder to have a human lover than a vampire?” she asked. “I mean, do vampires bite each other?”

“No,” he said. “We bleed, but our blood is unappetizing. It lacks the essence that human blood carries. You may find it strange, but you are my first human lover since I was turned.”

“Really?”

“Indeed,” he said. “I have fed on veravin, and occasionally given them pleasure while drinking, but no sex. Not like this.”

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